


Ring of Fire

by rebelise



Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Sequel Trilogy
Genre: Abusive Relationships, Dark, Darkfic, Disturbing Themes, F/M, Light Sadism, Murder, Obsession, Possessive Ben Solo, Stalking, Suspense, based on a thriller/horror film, check pre-chapter notes for additional warnings please, dubcon, seriously twisted attraction going on here
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-12-30
Updated: 2019-03-12
Packaged: 2019-09-30 05:21:13
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 3
Words: 6,526
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17217794
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/rebelise/pseuds/rebelise
Summary: Rey needs to get out of New York. So she accepts a position as a nanny in the northern California redwood forest.





	1. Pull up, pull up, from one extreme to another

**Author's Note:**

> Now this is going to probably be my darkest fic yet. It's based on a horror movie that I watched recently and the story lends itself perfectly to Reylo darkfic. So, here we go! I'll always put additional warnings in the chapter notes.

/chapter title from "Into the Fire" by Thirteen Senses/

Rey needs to get out of New York. So, when one of her friends sends her a link to a craigslist ad for a couple who need a nanny for two months, she pounces on the opportunity. Two months, an entire continent away, in the middle of the Redwood forest? She can do this. She can’t stay here another week. She’s becoming paranoid. Rey emails with the couple back and forth for a few days before making up her mind. They offer her the position. She accepts.

The Solos live in a fairly isolated location not far from Eureka, CA, their lodge surrounded by massive trees. They want to take a holiday, since they apparently haven’t had the time in the past several years. Leia Organa is a retired politician and her husband is a pilot, so they haven’t had much opportunity to get away. They have a son named Ben—the kid Rey will nanny. She packs a duffel and small suitcase and tells Rose and Finn, her best friends, about her plan.

They take her to the airport and drop her off a couple of days later. “This will be for the best,” Rose says, enveloping Rey in a tight hug. “You need to get away for a while.”

“Text or call us whenever you need to,” Finn hugs her next, and Rey has to hurry away before she bursts into tears. She’s lucky to have them. They’ve been to hell and back with her, and she knows they’ll do whatever they can to help her, to make sure she’s happy. On the plane, she lets herself cry a little. Just a little. This will be good. Already she can feel her muscles loosen and relax, sore from always carrying herself so carefully, always living in fear. It was getting insane, and now she can breathe.

 

___________      

 

A guy with black curly hair and a flashy smile picks Rey up from the airport when she lands in California. He doesn’t try to hide that he’s checking her out as he shakes her hand and loads her luggage into the trunk of the SUV. Poe Dameron apparently delivers mail and groceries for the Solos. He chatters with Rey happily on the drive to their woodland cottage, asking her about New York and making small-talk. He keeps flashing her these sly smiles that Rey takes to mean as flirting. He’s nice. But she just got off the plane—the entire ride she spent peering over the tops of the seats, scanning for _him_. Her skin got clammy and her heart raced, as she dug her fingers into the arm of her seat. She wonders now if she’d ever escape panic.

“You ever been out here before?” Poe asks her. “This far west, I mean?”

“No, never. Just the east coast.”

“You got kind of an accent, huh? UK?”

“Oh,” Rey smiles, “I didn’t realize it was that noticeable. It’s been a while since I lived there.”

“Yeah? So why does a lovely girl like you want to take a job like this for? I mean, it’s so far out. Afraid you won’t see too much of anyone out there.”

Rey shrugs. “I need the money. And it’ll be nice, to be alone for a bit.”

The ride goes on and on, though the winding roads and towering trees make for an interesting landscape. Rey leans her head back against the seat-rest, peace flowing over her for the first time in years. True peace. She could move out here. Sure, she’d be leaving behind her friends. But maybe…maybe it would be worth it. To just feel okay again.

Poe pulls off the main road onto a long driveway that zigzags up the side of a mountain. The trees go on for miles, and for the first time, Rey doesn’t mind feeling small; these giant redwoods could be her fortress.

Finally, the house comes into view—it’s literally a log cabin manor, a stone chimney rising towards the back, adding to the homey effect. Poe pulls to a stop at the foot of the front steps, a large, heavy-looking wooden door with brass knocker facing out upon the courtyard. The musk of pine and damp earth fills Rey’s nose as she swings her legs out of the car and looks up at the house, taking it in. It’s way bigger than she even imagined. And there’s lush greenery everywhere, from the backdrop of the trees, draped in vines and ferns, to the spongy moss underfoot. Rey shivers a bit, the sun blocked out by the overhanging limbs. Poe must have noticed since he nods towards the front door, tells her to let herself in and wait in front hall for them. “They’re probably upstairs with Ben. Leia texted me and said she’d be down shortly. I’ll bring in your luggage.

“Oh, ok.” Rey smiles at him gratefully but she grabs her own duffel from the backseat and hauls the strap onto one shoulder. She walks up to the door, wondering if it’s as heavy as it looks. She finds out it _is_ , but she manages, slipping through the opening she made and stopping short in the front hall. If the outside of this luxurious cabin looked impressive, the interior is breathtaking. Everything on the shelves and the wood paneled walls with intricate carvings suggests that these people have it made.

It’s not much warmer in here than it is outside, and Rey wraps her arms around herself, gazing in wonder at her surroundings. It’s so _big_. A part of her rejoices in having such a place mostly to herself for two months, but another part of her isn’t so sure.

Rey uncertainly steps onto the thick hall rug that looks it costs thousands. Maybe she should just take her shoes off. She shucks them off and she’s arranging them next to her duffel when Poe comes in with her suitcase, easily handling the tricky wheels of her old luggage carrier. He just a few inches taller than Rey but his square chest and toned arms make him look bigger than he is. He winks at Rey as he rolls her suitcase next to her duffel. “So, do you want a tour of the place while we wait for them?”

“Sure,” Rey smiles politely. They cover only half of the ground floor before Mrs. Solo finds them in the kitchen, her graying dark hair gathered into neat buns atop her head, her royal blue pantsuit giving her a very official look.

She’s older than Rey expected. She gives Rey a slight smile and says, “Why don’t you come with me now, and meet Ben?”

Rey nods and she and Poe trail along behind Mrs. Solo up the back staircase. The stop at a door—Ben’s room, Rey assumes.

“Now, Ben is very shy. He’s always preferred to stay close to home, but lately he hasn’t been out of the house whatsoever. Neither have we,” Mrs. Solo laughs softly and turns the door knob. Within, it’s a child’s nursery, shelves lined with toys and books, a twin bed in the center. There’s an armchair facing the window, and next to it stands a man with almost completely gray hair, his shoulders stooped as he gazes out into the forest.

“Han?” Leia says, her voice almost a whisper. He seems to start from his trance and turns to look at his wife.

“This is Rey Niima. All the way from New York.”

Han doesn’t smile as he shakes Rey’s hand. His lined face looks gray in the late afternoon light.

Leia hurries forward and kneels in front of the chair. Rey finds it strange that the child sitting in the armchair makes no sound whatsoever. He must be extremely shy, then. Leia motions for Rey, saying, “Rey, meet our son. Benjamin.”

Rey slowly leaves the doorway and moves further into the room, her chest weirdly tight. She can’t think of a thing to say when she looks down into the pale porcelain face and glassy brown eyes of a doll.

________

 

“Ben, this is Rey,” Leia brushes a weathered hand over the doll’s soft-looking black hair that’s cut short around the ears. Rey opens her mouth and then shuts it again, a nervous laugh bubbling in her throat. _What the fuck?_ She coughs, but it’s clear that Leia and Han see through that ruse. They regard her gravely and then Leia says, “Why don’t you shake his hand?”

Rey stares at them blankly for a moment, trying to collect her thoughts, trying to not start laughing hysterically. It’s clear that they’re completely serious.

“Um,” Rey chews the inside of her cheek, taking in a deep breath. She nods and bends down, closing her fingers around the doll’s small glass hand. Her heart pounds as she shakes Ben’s hand. Ben is a…doll. Is this for real? Is this a joke? But she doesn’t dare voice her questions as her mind races. She could leave now. She could apologize, but she’s really disturbed that she’s going to be watching after a _fucking doll_ for two months. But they’re going to pay her extremely well. That thought alone drives her to say, “I think we’ll get along quite well, Ben.” Leia and Han made sounds of approval, their expressions relaxing. Leia smiles more widely now, patting Rey on the arm.

“Very good. I’ll walk you through what we expect of you and in a bit, you can help me put Ben to bed.”

Rey nods mutely and follows Leia through the house, her mind running a thousand miles per hour. Leia instructs her to never throw away the leftovers, as it’s wasteful, and instead store them in Tupperware containers in the fridge. She leads Rey into a study that contains a grand piano and a stereo system. “Ben loves to listen to stories and music. Always be sure to read in a clear, distinct voice, and be sure to turn the music up to a sufficiently loud volume.”

“To be safe, we keep the windows locked shut at all times and please refrain from using the fireplace. The smoke doesn’t ventilate too well.”

As they climb the stairs a while later after the complete tour, Leia glances at Rey over her shoulder. “Ben is very choosy—we’ve had to turn down several candidates because he didn’t prefer them. But I believe he’s taken a liking to you; you’re young and pretty.” She smiles as she says this and Rey drops her eyes, a bit embarrassed by the compliment. She only finds this statement odd later that night in bed. Leia shows her how to change and dress Ben in his pajamas and they tuck him into the bed. Han watches them in silence, his face unreadable. He’s barely spoken since Rey arrived.

“Ben likes a goodnight kiss. We’ll put that on the list of instructions,” Leia leans down and pecks the doll’s cheek. Rey’s spine prickles, but she ignores it.

“You say goodnight to him, Rey. Go on.”

Rey sucks in her breath but leans closer to the doll. “Goodnight, Ben,” she says quickly, hoping her nervousness doesn’t come through in her voice. “Have a good sleep.” She gives him an awkward pat on the head and backs away.

Leia then ushers her out of the room, saying, “Han and I need a minute alone with Ben, now. Why don’t you go settle into your room? Poe’s already brought your luggage up. You’re right across the hall from Ben.”

 _Brilliant_. But Rey shuffles across the hall, Ben’s door closing behind her. She hears their whispers and is tempted to listen, as she twists the doorknob of her own bedroom. They sound almost…pleading.

She’s just stepped inside her own bedroom—the room that could be hers for the next couple of months—when Ben’s door opens, and Mr. and Mrs. Solo emerge. “He wants you, Rey. He’s chosen you,” Leia says rather breathlessly. “He must have really taken a liking to you.”

Han finally grunts, “Looks like it.”

Leia flashes him a strange look and Rey has that unnerving sense that she’s standing on the outside looking in at a puzzle she can’t possibly understand. This is all insane. She’s officially weirded out. But for all intents and purposes, they’re ready to hire her and set out on their holiday. The pay is miraculously high, and beggars can’t be choosers.

Rey shoves her hands into her pockets, nodding. “Okay. Well, it’s me and Ben then,” she tries to sound cheerful.

Leia full on _beams_ now, “Wonderful,” she sighs. “Now, get some sleep and we’ll give you the instructions on paper tomorrow before we head out.”


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hey ya'll! Have some more creepy shit

Before bed, Rey remembers that she left her shoes by the front door. She hurries down to grab them, a shiver going through her as she passes antlers hanging on the walls, stuffed heads of buffalo and mountain goats staring down at her. She doesn’t find her shoes where she left them earlier. With a shrug, she heads back upstairs. Leia probably moved them. She’ll get them in the morning.

Rey doesn’t sleep well at all that night. She keeps tossing and turning until the sun’s light seeps through the curtains—it’s pretty faint, due to the thick coverage of the trees. Rey guesses that her restlessness has something to do with that fucking doll just down the hall. Those glassy, dead eyes haunt her thoughts. Halfway through the night she’s been tempted to open the doll’s bedroom door and peer in. But she can’t bring herself to move—really, there’s no reason to be afraid. These people are insane. But she doesn’t want to get in trouble for sneaking around at 3am.

Lying there, wide awake, she considers just leaving. Coming up with some (lame) excuse and getting the fuck out of here. But…but the house really is beautiful, as is the surrounding forest, and really, she can’t afford another plane ticket right now. She does _not_ want to go back to the east coast, it would make her a sitting duck for _him_ , and the paycheck they’re promising her is extremely generous, to put it lightly. How hard could it be to humor this poor couple, who are obviously trying to cope using this…doll. She can humor them. She can do it. Even if the doll gives her the creeps. Just smile, listen to the instructions, and she’ll have two long months alone in this place, enjoying the safety and solitude. Maybe she can take some hikes.

 

______

           

“Please be sure to follow all the instructions every day,” Leia says, smiling at Rey tightly. She’s obviously anxious about leaving her “child” behind, but Rey nods, stifling the guilt in the back of her mind. Because she’s humoring them, remember? It’s not like she’s going to actually center her day around feeding a doll that _can’t eat_ , taking it on walks, playing music for it, and reading it books. But Leia seems satisfied when Rey nods and listens intently to the instructions, and before long, Rey’s standing with the couple at the door. She remembers something.

“Oh, I meant to ask. Did you happen to collect my shoes I left by the door yesterday?”

Leia looks at Han, but he’s staring at the ground, his hands shoved deep into his pockets. Leia sighs heavily and throws her arms around Rey’s shoulders. “They’ll turn up sooner or later,” she murmurs, before adding. “I’m so sorry, dear.”

“Um, it’s okay. No big deal,” though Rey is quite fond of those boots. Maybe they have a maid or something who did something with them, put them in a cupboard perhaps. Leia’s blinking back tears when she pulls away and Han’s voice sounds a little hoarse as he reaches out, pats Rey on the shoulder. “Take care, kid,” he grunts.

“Don’t mind us,” Leia sniffles. “We haven’t been away for years. It’s a little bittersweet. The last time we left was when Ben—”

Poe opens the front door, grabbing Han and Leia’s suitcases. “The car’s pulled around up front,” he says brightly, shattering the heavy mood.  Leia doesn’t finish her thought. “Ready?”

Leia’s eyes are wet as she nods and pulls Rey into a quick embrace again. Then the couple shuffle outside onto the front porch of this luxury cabin. Poe loads their luggage into the car as Rey finally takes a moment to look down at a piece of paper Leia pressed into her hand earlier. It’s a numbered list of instructions for each day. All of them involve Ben, of course. Rey snorts and pushes the paper discreetly into her pocket. Han and Leia are already getting into the car. Leia waves through the window and Han offers Rey a tired smile that’s more of a grimace. Rey’s heart drops into her stomach for whatever reason. She shrugs off the weird feeling.

She turns and heads back inside as the car engine starts up and slowly fades into the distance. Perched on a loveseat in the entry hall is Ben, glass face upturned towards her, but the brown eyes are blank, expressionless. Inhuman. Goosebumps erupt on Rey’s skin. She frowns. “Sorry Ben, but you really creep me out.” Feels weird to talk out loud—to a _doll_ , and she laughs a bit shakily as she drapes the plaid blanket over her new charge, covering it completely. Relief floods her immediately. Now, time to find something to eat. The pantry is well-stocked since Poe just brought new groceries yesterday. Rey finds some peanut butter and bread and makes herself a sandwich—it’s simple, but perfect to satisfy the gnaw in her stomach. As she eats, she pulls out the instruction list and goes over it.

 

  1. No guests
  2. Never leave Ben alone
  3. Save meals in the freezer
  4. Never cover Ben’s face
  5. Read a bedtime story
  6. No fires
  7. Play music loud
  8. Only Poe brings deliveries
  9. Ben is to never leave
  10. Kiss goodnight



 

Rey laughs through her mouthful of bread and peanut butter, shaking her head. What the hell is this, even? She feels bad, because Leia and Han seem like nice people, they really do. Deranged, though. After she finishes eating, she decides to explore the house on her own. She finds a big study with a piano and a stereo set. There’s a portrait hanging on one of the walls—Han and Leia and—a young boy. A human boy. Not a doll. Rey feels goosebumps erupt on her skin as she stares up at the boy’s pale face, dark hair combed almost too perfectly over his forehead. Full, pouting lips and sad brown eyes. So, they lost their real son? And they were making up for it now with this doll? Rey has no idea.

She looks at this painting for a long time, and finally leaves the study, her sense of reality a bit…off kilter. She distracts herself by looking in every single room of the house for her shoes. She probably even enters rooms that would be otherwise off limits, but Goddammit she loved those boots and she can’t afford to lose them. Not when the closest clothing store is probably an hour away. She only has one other pair of good shoes—running sneakers. And her heels, which would be useless in a dire situation. Why she feels the need to prepare for something bad probably stems from a life of living on the streets, and more recently, constantly checking over her shoulder, double checking her locks at night, always carrying a can of pepper-spray and a taser in her pocket or purse.

She wants to think that _he_ can’t find her out here. She doesn’t want to even _think_ his name. But sometimes, she hears his voice in her dreams and she wakes up in a cold sweat, and sometimes the anxiety makes her sick to her stomach. Today, she tries to believe that finally, she’s free. Free of everything from before. Yes, she misses Rose and Finn like hell. But she needs this. Needs this escape. This reprieve. They understand, of course. There’s poor reception out here, but it’s enough to message with them back and forth as she scours the house. Finally, she gives up, and retires to her room. She calls them, because although the silence out here is a nice change from the constant buzz of NYC, she just wants the comfort of their voices.

Finn answers, and Rey could cry. She wishes so bad they could’ve come along with her.

“Finn?” she manages, just barely able to keep her voice from breaking.

“Rey,” his voice is warm, tender, caring. A big tear rolls down her cheek and her lip quivers as she curls into a little ball in the center of her bed. “How are you, Peanut?”  

In the background, Rey hears Rose exclaim, “Finn? Is that Rey? Oh my God, why didn’t you tell me she called?”

“Babe, she literally just called,” Finn calls back. Rey can’t help but smile. They’re so good. Such good friends. She swipes away her stray tear and laughs shakily into the speaker.

“Hey Rose.”

“Rey, how is Cali?” Rey can imagine Finn grinning at his girlfriend fondly, and God, she misses them so much it hurts. Why did she leave? _You know why_. _This is for the best_.

“It’s really nice out here,” she croaks. “Beautiful. The trees are _huge_.”

“Yeah? Well, we’ll have to come visit you sometime soon.”

Rey thinks of the instruction list. No Guests, the number one rule apparently. She swallows hard, blinking. That list means shit to her. “Yes, I’d love that,” she smiles.

“So, everything is good there?” Finn asks. “Everything okay?”

“Yep,” Rey forces herself to say. She considers telling them about the kid she’s nannying, the kid who is in fact a _doll_. But that would unnecessarily worry them. The situation is odd, but certainly not dangerous. She does have Poe to check in on her every week, and he seems like a friendly enough guy.

But then Finn says, “So, you haven’t heard anything from—I mean, you haven’t received any calls?”

And her stomach goes hollow, soaring downward in a nauseating way. “What—what do you mean?” she whispers.

“Um,” Finn’s probably looking to Rose for help. Rose is probably twisting a strand of her hair around her finger, uncomfortably.

“Finn, what is it?” Rey sounds harsher than she intends to. But her heart thuds sharply inside her and she can’t swallow.

“Don’t worry, Peanut. You’re safe, you’re good. But I just thought you should know—Hux came by. He was looking for you.”

_Fuck_. “Oh,” Rey feels incredibly small. Helpless. She curls up even more tightly, tucking her knees und her chin, swallowing around the lump in her throat. She can’t speak. Finn probably knows. He knows what the mention of Hux’s name does to her.

“We didn’t tell him anything. Told him we’d call the police if he came by again. That really pissed him off. But you’re safe Rey. I swear.”

“Okay.” Rey shudders.

“He has no idea you’re even out of the state. He’ll never know.”

_How has it come down to this? To living in fear of a single person, to fleeing an entire state just to…keep sane?_

“Okay,” she repeats numbly. She wishes she could just stop feeling altogether, forever. But that’ll only happen when she’s dead. And she’s…she’s not ready to die, right? Right.

She’s a fighter.

“Peanut, just breathe. You’re safe now. He can’t get you now. We’re gonna do our damned best to make sure he gets served, or even better. We can still get you a lawyer…”

“No, it’s fine,” Rey exhales. She can’t afford a lawyer. But it’s nice of Finn to offer, at least. She doesn’t want to end up in debt to some attorney, especially since this is a he-said, she-said situation.

She hangs up a little while later, wishing she could keep them on the phone until she falls asleep every night. But she knows she can’t do that.

Rey pads downstairs to the kitchen to find some more food and maybe some wine. There’s a bottle of merlot in one of the cupboards and she pours herself some, sinking into a lounge chair next to a window.

She dozes off, but instead of dreaming about cruel, pale eyes and long fingers digging into her back, she sees the pale face of that boy in the painting, shoulders hunched in on himself like he’s trying to make himself as small as possible. Sitting in that bedroom full of toys and the twin-sized bed, brown eyes blank and staring off into nothing. She wakes with a jolt when he turns those eyes onto her, and she has the panicked sense of being caught, as her head snaps back up, her mouth excruciatingly dry from the full glass of alcohol she’d consumed. Her limbs seem to weigh far too much as she slowly stands and walks to the kitchen with bottle and glass, washes the glass out in the sink and then heads for the stairs. She passes the front hall where she’d left Ben, the doll. She pauses on her way up, glancing over to see those glassy eyes watching her, the blanket on the ground. Rey’s mind is a bit too foggy to really register that that’s…weird. But she does hesitate, squinting into the shadows, her hand clenching into a tight fist as she sorts through what she’s seeing. What the bloody hell.

She slowly walks towards the doll before grabbing it and sprint up the stairs, all but hurling it at the little wooden rocking chair near the window. The same spot she’d seen that miserable boy in her dream.

The doll’s fragile head knocks against the wooden rungs of the rocker, and Rey freezes, suddenly terrified that she’s shattered the couple’s precious, creepy-ass doll.

Her heart races as she prowls closer to the rocking chair, and once she sees that it’s fine, she skirts out, her knees threatening to give out. She’s just tipsy, that’s all. Nothing more, nothing less.


	3. Play with me

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> God, it's been a while. A month and a half or something? Thank you for the patience, I know it has been a ridiculous amount of time between updates but life fucked up my writing flow and everything I tried to write just seemed forced. I had to focus on school and mental health for a bit, but I hope I'm back for frequent updates, or semi-frequent updates, if you know me ;)  
> anyways, can't wait to hear what ya'll think of this chapter. The story really begins from here on out ;)  
> if you've seen the movie, you'll notice I've changed some things up

Poe stops by a few days later for his weekly grocery delivery. Rey has made a point of avoiding even _looking_ at the doll’s bedroom door. Even walking by it gives her goosebumps and she’s got this irrational terror lurking around in the pit of her stomach, that the doll will snitch on her somehow, that Leia and Han will come home and _know_ that she didn’t follow any of the rules on that list. It’s dumb, because obviously the doll can’t tell them anything. But Rey had left the paper with the list of rules somewhere downstairs, sadly neglected. She tells herself, _they’ll never know, of course._ She shrugs it off and finds a copy of one of her favorite books, _Jane Eyre._ She’s reading this when she hears Poe’s truck roll up, wheels crunching on gravel in the drive, and then his confident rap on the door.

Poe is good company, always having plenty to say and an abundance of jokes in store—Rey finds herself actually laughing, truly laughing, for the first time in a while and it feels good, safe almost. Poe invites her for a walk outside on the surrounding forest trail, part of a network of pathways, but finally Rey feels comfortable enough to ask Poe about something that’s been nagging her since she arrived. “Have Han and Leia…always…been like this? I mean, have they been pretending like this doll is their actual child—did they lose their—”

“It _is_ their replacement for the real thing,” Poe sighs, eyeing her—his expression has gone from laughing to sober. “Ben—Ben Solo. I only met a handful of times, before everything went down. Before they lost him. He was eight—I was ten at the time”

“Lost him?”

“A fire. He didn’t make it. At least they salvaged their home, though I can’t imagine how hard it would be to stay there afterwards, what with all the memories. Terrible thing, really.”

“What was—what was the _real_ Ben like?”

Poe huffs out a humorless laugh, furrowing his brows. “What was he like, hm?” he echoed. He shook his head slightly. “He was a quiet kid. Kept to himself. People who knew the family found him…strange. Maybe even unnerving.”

“Why?” Rey thinks of the boy in the family portrait—large, forlorn eyes. Black hair clashing with pale skin. She swallows.

“I was too young to notice, I guess. I mean, he never liked to play with anybody else. I only hung out with him once or twice. He barely talked—folks called him ‘anti-social’. Don’t know if that’s why they thought him strange or not. There was plenty of talk afterwards though. Have to feel bad for Han and Leia. They didn’t deserve that kind of gossip after what they went through.”

“Gossip?” Rey’s curiosity comes through in her voice. She flushes but really, this whole situation gets stranger moment to moment.

“All I know is that people who met him thought he was troubled. Some say it’s because his parents never were home with him, others say it had to do with this guy named Snoke. Said he took advantage, he was Ben’s piano teacher or something like that…”

Rey shudders. She does _not_ want to know what Poe means by that. “Christ,” she mutters.

“Yeah,” Poe glances at her, his eyes hooded. “Fucking disgusting, if it’s true.”

Rey swallows again, her stomach twisting. Those eyes flash into her mind. Something in her shatters a bit. She didn’t even know the boy, but there is something truly horrifying ingrained in this home, this family. She probably will never know the full truth, but does she want to? She imagines the house holds all sorts of secrets and clues as to what was going on. She noticed several rooms with ceiling trap doors leading to the attic. But she shudders to think of venturing up there, especially with the definitive aura of darkness pervading this beautiful Northern California house.

“Snoke—is he still around?”

“Nah, he died years ago. A stroke or something. Didn’t ever get clear details on it all—he did live in this neighborhood, in a giant chateau nearby. I only vaguely remember meeting him once. He gave me the creeps, obviously.”

“Anyways,” Poe clears his throat. “Enough of all this. What brings a Brit like you all the way out here? It can’t just be the money. New York is ripe with opportunities.”

Rey gives him an uncomfortable smile, shifting away as she turns to look at a nearby log, completely shrouded by moss and ferns. “I _do_ need the money,” she insists. “And it’s beautiful out here. Who wouldn’t want to stay out here in a lovely home…”

“And get paid to take care of a doll?” Poe chuckles.

The hairs on Rey’s neck raise. She tries to laugh as well. “Right, what a bargain.”

“I know the rules _forbid_ you from leaving Ben alone, but there’s a nice bar in town, the bartender knows his shit. Maybe you could escape this _lovely_ prison for a bit tonight?”

“Oh!” Rey looked over to see Poe grinning at her, his black eyes open, hopeful. “Tonight?”

“I think Ben would be fine, left to his own devices for a few hours.”

“Yeah?” Rey laughs.

“Yeah,” Poe smirks, and he makes a point of bumping shoulders with her.

 

____________

 

Rey finds herself actually feeling excited for the first time in a while. A date will be…nice. Yes, nice. It’s a shame that “nice” is the only word she can conjure in regard to Poe. He’s saved her from crippling loneliness thus far in California, welcoming her and making a point of easing her into this strange new job. His knowledge of the Solo family has certainly been helpful, not that the background info on Ben is at all comforting. But he seems like a generous, happy-go-lucky sort of guy. Finn and Rose cheer boisterously when she tells them about her “date”.

“Just have fun, Peanut,” Finn smiles into the phone. Rose makes a giddy sound as she adds,

“Yeah, this is really good. Tell us all the details tomorrow?”

Rey nods, even though they can’t see her. “Right, of course. We’re just going to dinner and a bar, pretty casual.”

“Are you wearing your pine-green dress? You turn heads in that every single time. He won’t know what hit him,” Rose prods.

Rey just laid it out on her bed, in fact, and she admits this to her friends. “It’s just a date, guys.” She leaves off the unspoken, _I’m not ready for anything serious right now._

After she hangs up, she heads to the bathroom for a shower. The hot water feels good on her skin, soothing, and she tries to not think about how she hasn’t picked up the doll once today. It will survive, she tells herself wryly.

When she gets out of the shower, she grabs her towel, winding it about her chest, and heads back into the bedroom. At first, she busies herself with drying her hair and rubbing moisture from the rest of her body. She pauses in front of the vanity’s mirror, examining herself, bare, in the reflection. For a moment, she considers what tonight could bring. What if Poe wanted something more than dinner and drinks? It has certainly been a while. The last time was with… _him_.

The asshole who upended her entire life, her dignity. Her sense of security so carefully preserved. She’s an orphan, never let her guard down for anyone. And the one time she did, two years ago…well, here she is now, on the run. A lump grows in her throat, but she forgets about the rising emotion as confusion takes over. Her bed, where she’d spread her dress, is empty. No dress in sight. Rey turns around away from the mirror, hugging her towel close, staring at where the dress should be. It’s gone.

Rey sucks in her breath, irrational fear climbing in her. Panic, already stirring as she remembered her situation, why she was out here, begins to crawl beneath her skin. She lets out her held-in breath and moves towards her door. Opens it, and peers out into the silent hall. Her stomach drops when she finds herself staring directly into the doll’s room, the bedroom door flung wide open. The doll, glass boyish features eerily cheerful, is perched on the edge of the twin bed, facing towards her. Rey shrieks, her knees buckling, when the attic door in the hall ceiling suddenly jolts open, the ladder crashing down neatly with a bang. _What the fuck._

Rey pulls back, going hot and then cold. The only logical explanation is that Poe is cruelly messing around, that he got here early and decided to fuck with her. Yes, that’s it. She yells his name.

No answer.

“Poe, seriously. Very funny,” she calls, her voice wavering a bit.

Still, the only thing to answer is the echo of her voice bouncing around the empty house. The attic entrance yawns right here beyond her door. Rey considers slamming her door shut, locking it, and staying in here until Poe quits. _What if it’s someone else?_ She begins to wonder if someone has broken in. Her stomach twists sickeningly at the thought. It would make sense. Maybe someone noticed that the house owners had left. Perhaps they imagined it would be easy to overpower the lone girl housesitting, or doll-sitting, for Han and Leia.

Rey takes in several deep breaths, before hastily throwing on a T-shirt, knickers, and jean shorts. Then, she picks up the poker beside her bedroom’s fireplace. She holds it poised as she opens her door again, and steps into the hall. “Poe?” she calls again, her voice faltering. Great, so now whoever it is knows she’s scared.

She steps up to the foot of the stepladder. Silence hangs thickly, and there is no sign of movement from above. “Poe,” she yells again. It could be him. There’s no sign of movement anywhere, no thumps or footsteps or anything. Weird. Could just be the house, but her dress…

She starts to climb. She’s halfway up—the ceilings are quite high—when she sees something move in the attic above her. She panics, crying out, and her hold slips; she crashes for the ground. She grabs on wildly for the ladder, but her head knocks hard against one of the rungs, and she finally hits the floor, everything going black.

 

_________

 

Rey wakes on something soft—a bed, she guesses, as her head throbs painfully. She floats in and out of consciousness, her limbs heavy and warm. Her nose fills with a musty odor, similar to that of old books, or one of those dusty antique stores she used to visit with Finn in New York. She slowly opens her eyes to a dimly lit room. Her pulse spikes frantically as she peers down her body to find herself dressed in the pine-green dress she meant to wear on her outing with Poe. She tries to scream, but her voice sticks in a gravelly cry, and she struggles to move—her arms and legs are wooden, heavy. She can’t move at all.

She can’t even turn her head. _The fuck?_

But she can talk, barely. She rasps out a scream several times, each sound a pathetic failure, and her vision blacks out with terror when suddenly a hulking shape enters her line of vision. Broad, hunched almost, but very tall. Her vision blurs with tears that she can’t wipe away. A blank countenance comes into focus, barely, inhuman and haunting. Black hair frames it, from what she can vaguely see.

“Where am I?” she gasps, her voice so soft she can barely hear _herself_ over the roar of her pulse.

A strange, mangled voice reaches her ears. Distorted by something, deep and gut-wrenching. “You’re my guest.” Simple, to the point. Rey tries to clench her hands into fists, brace herself against another flood of panic.

“Who _are you_?” she finally grates out, still so quiet it’s a wonder he can understand her. But suddenly the mask is so close it might be mere inches away, but her brain can’t compute space for some reason, she’s so dizzy. _You’re drugged_. A sob claws into her throat.

The mask doesn’t answer this time for a long moment. Finally, it tilts to the side, like a dog. “Don’t be afraid,” it says simply, the voice pitching up slightly, as if pleading.

“Don’t be—” Rey’s sob breaks free from her lips, “Afraid? What do you—what do you want? Who are you?”

Again, no answer to the _who are you_ question. But something brushes her cheek and chin and Rey jerks, mouth falling open in a silent scream. “Play with me,” the mask says. “I want you to play with me.”

**Author's Note:**

> you can also find me here:  
> [twitter](https://twitter.com/rebelise96)  
> [NSFW twitter](https://twitter.com/rebelisehush)  
> [tumblr](https://rebelise.tumblr.com)  
> 


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